How to lose weight when you are pregnant?

Published 11.09.2015

Weight and pregnancy go hand in hand and during this moment in a woman’s life issues of gaining and losing weight are very vital. During this period it is normal for women to gain weight as their bodies try to position for delivery later after the gestation period. Losing weight is not advisable according to medical practitioners but women need to lose unnecessary weight during pregnancy. This excessive weight in some women may cause miscarriage, blood clots and gestational diabetes among other complications.

Unless your doctor tells you to, one should not try to lose weight. Losing weight when pregnant is a bit complicated compared to losing weight normally. This is because of the fact that one is carrying another life that is very much delicate. Although during the first trimester one may lose a lot of weight due to the morning sickness vomiting and subsequent lose of appetite, after that additional weight may be gained as the pregnancy period progresses. Outlined below are various steps one can take to lose weight when pregnant.

Steps to follow so as to lose weight when you are pregnant

Exercise! This is one key way of losing weight while pregnant. Though not all exercises are recommended one needs to look for a specialized instructor so as to take them through. This can help one stay fit and not cause any harm to the baby. This will not only help you lose weight but is key in overall health improvement and greatly aids in stress relief. Some of the exercises include steady long walks, yoga, prenatal workouts among others. One should avoid rigorous exercises such as karate, ball games, high jumps among others.

Eat a healthy pregnancy diet: one should not that during pregnancy one should not diet so as to lose weight. This derives the baby of important nutrients and can cause harm to both the mother and baby. Rather the pregnant woman should have a healthy pregnancy diet to help in managing weight gain and also feed the baby with vital nutrients during pregnancy. There is no clear pregnancy diet but the doctor can advice according to the pregnant woman’s weight needs.

Observing calories intake: at this time you are basically eating for two, one should be careful enough as this may result in being overweight. Knowing the calorie demands of you and your baby per day and sticking by them will help a lot in weight management. Always check on the labels before consumption to know what percentage of calories the product contains before consuming. Junk food the number one culprit of weight gain should be highly kept in check by the pregnant woman this includes chips, burgers, hotdogs, and carbonated drinks among others.

Avoid excessive sodium and salt as this may result into increased water retaining in the body and subsequent blood volume causing blood pressure.

Drinking a lot of water, this can help in losing weight when pregnant. Drinking a lot of water increases metabolism in the body thus cleansing the body and getting rid of the extra pounds in the body. Water also hydrates the body therefore suppressing appetite. Most people confuse thirst with hunger resulting in overindulgence in eating. Pregnant women should drink three liters of water every day to help in keeping them healthy and losing weight.

Increase consumption of fish, again not all types of fish are recommended here. Fish such as tilapia, shrimp are good for weight management while those such as shark and swordfish are to be avoided during the pregnancy period.

Avoid processed foods at all cost as they contain salts that cause listeriosis infection. If a pregnant woman is overcome by cravings then she should go for an alternative such a home made steak.

Losing weight when pregnant is a sensitive issue although It happens that some women are obese by the time they become pregnant and are therefore required to lose weight to prevent birth complications and harm to the baby. Instead of being told to go on a strict diet, women are advised to choose a healthy lifestyle.

Generally pregnant women are not advised to lose weight intentionally, but losing weight at this time is possible. One needs to have a lengthy consultation with her doctor to ensure that they are doing the right thing. This will ensure that the mother has a safe pregnancy, a safe delivery and finally and healthy baby and mother to enjoy the gift of parenthood.